Shoe last



July 7, 1936. g, STURGIS 2,046,536

SHOE LAST Filed NOV. 1, 1954 mwimzy WQMMW isfnearly completedwhen ready to be removed from-the last, it is necessary that the last be broken to-permit' the removalof the-shoe there-" from without injuryto" the shoeJ-Tofthis end, lasts are customarily made of two members hinged" togetherin such a way that'the overall" v breaking the last. When thelast is in use, it is'desirabl' that the two parts {he firmlymaintai'ned'dn theirnormal relative position so as to yieldfltherefrom' only uponthe application of considerable force 'in'order'to'avoid'injury to theinsole by pinching' between the two parts of the last." It'isan ob-' jectof the present invention to provide an ar'- ticulated last withimproved" hinge mechanism which -is relatively simplean'd cheap but which is highly effective in holding' the last membersfirma 1y in their normal positibn until the last is broken by the application of considerable "force. It isa further object-of the invention to improve the las't by providingflhinge mechanism which occupies relatively little-"space and I which thus necessitates the cutting away; of 'a'relativ'ely small v amount-of wood from the members of the last; reducingtheliabilityof 'breakage; I j e Other advantageous features will {be apparent to one skilled-in the artffom the"disclosure of, the invention in the following description oranembodiment thereof an'd'in the drawingof which Figure 1 isarielevation of a shoe last embodying the invention, a portion being broken away to showlthe hinge parts.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the last in its broken position. i Figure 3 is a fragmentary-plan view; of thelast shown iriFigures'l and 2. Figure 4 "is a* perspective viewbf the hinge member with anchoring 'pi'nsand cam element for holding the last in itshormal position; I

The last illustrated on thedrawing may comprise two members 10 and H which arefhinged' together and which are shaped to determine the form ofa shoebuiltt hreon. The last members have confronting faces l2, l3, respectively, which are inclined with respect to each other, as shown in Figure 1, when the last is in its normal position for use, but which abut each other as shown in Figure 2 when the last is broken. The abutting portion of the last members l0 and I I may be formed in such a manner as to provide a socket joint between the members, the heel member ll having a semi-cylindrical projection 15 which fits V SHOE L sIT r v JJC flL e a were; Mae- K1" fii' -ApplicationNovember; 1, lil'gvgs erial 5P5o aiinsilci z asi} into a semi-cylindricalrecessifi in the member I 0-. g' Accordingto the invention; a simple but effective hinge device is provided,-this comprising an elongated plate 20 having a pair of perforations therein toreceive-a pairof pins 2| and 22. The toe member I 0; of the; last is provided: with a suitable slot to receive: an end portion ofthe hingeplate -20,=-the plate being ,fitted;in the slot and anchored therein by thepinZ I soathat it is fixed with respect to the toe member 10 and rocks therewith; The heelmember II is also slottedas at -25--to receive the opposite end of the plate 20. The pin 2 2 'whichtpa'sses through this end por tion of the plate 20- is embedded .in'thelsemicylindrical portion l5 of the heel member I] so as tonbe coaxialtherewith. .;Thus'the pin 22 is the hinge pinabout w'hichthe'meinberi l0 rocks with respect to the member! I. Since, as indicated inFigure 4, the plate 20 may be relativelyflat andfthin-if madeof strong material such assteel; only a small amount of wood need be cut'away Irom-the'memberslfl and to form, the slets toreceive the plate 20. .Q

, Wheneajshoe is built on the last thein'sole of the sho'lies directly against thesolesuriface of the last This sin'face is transversely-intersected by. the lineof separation 30 between the members land H Ifthe two last. members) and II rockslightly f rom their normal relative position, the line '30 will open up as a crack in which the insoleTof the'shoe is liable to be pinched, thus forming .,an undesirable ridge, across the insole in the finished' shoe. Itlishighly important, as a practical matter, that the two members of the last be firmly maintained in-their normal position 'foruse whilethe shoe is being built thereon. During the building of a shoe on a last, the last is supported on a post or standard which extends into a hole3l in the heel member-l I. When the last-is thussupported, the toe portion l0 may besubjecte'd to various stresses, as from blows from a hammen tending to open momentarily thefline of "divisionfifl between the members Toveniently be integral with the plate 20 and may be in the form of a curved horn projecting laterally from the plate 20 and extending into the slot 25 of the heel member I I. The inner edge 36 of thecam element 35 is preferably curved With the high point 31 of the cam edge and rests against a portion ll of the cam edgewhich-diverges sharply from the general curvature of the edge 36. The shape of the cam element 35 is such that, when thelug 40 engages the cam edge;

thereof at points adjacent to the high point 31, the cam element 35 is distorted from its normal shape as indicated by the dotted outline in Figure 1, the maximum distortion occurring when the lug '40 passes the point 31, thus producing a" snap-action. Since the cam element 35 is pref: erably of heavystiff metal, it opposes a strong restoring force to such distortion. The force opposing initial opening movement between the members In and H thus depends upon the stiffness of the cam element 35 and also upon the angle of pitch of the surface portion 4i. Thus a force of any desired magnitude opposing the initial opening movement of the last can bezread ily obtained by the choice of material and shape of the member 35;

'In the embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawing, the cam member 35 engages on the side of the lug 40 which is remote from the hinge'pin 22. It is thus evident that, since the end portion of the member 35 is displaced in a direction away from the hinge axis, the lug 40' presses the entire hinge member 20 and the last member ID towardthe heel end of the last. Thus the mg 40 assists the hinge pin 22 in holding the members It) and II together, andthus reinforces the joint between the last members.

In order toavoidundue wear on the cam surfaces 4l and '36 and also on the lug", the lug may be provided with a cylindrical sleeve 45 which turns freely thereon and is engaged by the cam element 35.

It evident thatj various modifications and:

changes may be made "in the details of structure of the embodiment-of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in thefollowing claims.

' I claim:-

1. A hinged shoe'last comprising a pair of relatively rockable members having confronting faces with slots therein, hinge mechanism connecting said members, said mechanism comprising a fiat plate projecting into the'slot infone said member and secured therein against movement relative to said one member, said plate also having a portion projecting into the slot in the Of said plate projecting edgewise intothe other said member. and pivotally secured therein, a fixed lug mounted'in said other member, and a other said member and pivotally secured therein, and means yieldingly maintaining said members in normal relative position for use, said means comprising a fixed lug in the slot of said other member and a spring cam member project- 8 ing from said plate and engaging said fixed lug.

2. A hinged shoe last comprising a pair of relatively rockable members, and means for pivotally v connecting said members together and yieldingly maintaining the members in normal relative position for use, and means comprising an elongated plate having one end portion projecting edgewise into one of said members and secured therein to rock therewith, the other end portion resilient cam, element secured to said one member and projecting into said other member to engage said lug; said cam element and lug being ar- 20 ranged so that said element is distorted by initial rocking movement of said members from their normal relative position for use, 1

3. A hinged shoe last comprising a, pair of relatively rockable members, and means for pivotally connecting said members togetherand yieldingly maintaining the members in their normal rela: tive position for use, said means comprising anv elongated fiat platehaving a hook-shaped horn projecting-from-a sideedge thereof and extend- I ing beyondan end thereof, said plate having. a pair of perforations near theends thereof, a pivot pin extending through one ofsaid perforations: and embedded in one of said members; an anchoring pin extending through the other perfora- 3 tion and embedded in the other said member to secure said plate to said other member for movement therewith, and a fixed lugmounted in said one member and engaged by the inner'edgefo'f said hook-shaped horn adjacent to the end there of whereby said. lug moves along a portion, of said inner edge when said members are rocked, the engaged portion of saidinner edge havingan intermediate point nearer tothe axis of said pivot; than the remainderv of said edgeportion; 45.1

4. A hinged shoe last comprising apairof relatively rockable members hingemechanism con,- necting said members, .and means for yieldingly maintaining said members in their normal rela-' tive position for use, said meanscomprising a lug fixed in one said member and a hook-shaped resilient element anchored in the other said member andprojecting therefrom beyond said lug to hook therecver, I r v v I 5. A hinged shoe lasteomprising a pair of 55 relatively rockable members, hinge .mechanism connecting said members, and means foryieldingly maintaining said members in their normal relative position for use, said means comprising, a lug fixed to one member and a cooperating ele- 6d ment projecting from the other member, said element having a cammingengagement with the remote side of the lugwhereby said element and lug tend to prevent bodily separation of said members. e

L. STURG'IS. 

